As soon as you turn off your morning alarm, do you sluggishly turn over and check your Facebook messages or Instagram feed?

Or perhaps you are one those people who will start watching a video on Youtube to get yourself out of bed?

Every morning we make a choice: A choice to to feed our mind or deplete our mind.

The subconscious mind is more powerful than we know, especially in the morning. Its openness and receptivity is just like a cell phone, trying to pick up a signal.

One of the simplest ways you can add more joy and peace to the rest of your day is by not checking social media first thing in the morning.

Below are 3 reasons why you need to stop waking up to social media.

1. Your Subconscious Mind Picks Up Everything

Image Credit: Modified from AsapSCIENCE on YouTube

When you check social media first thing in the morning, you have absolutely no control regarding what you’re going to see.

Will it be Donald Trump getting rid of healthcare or Brad and Angelina getting a divorce?

Whatever it is, you don’t need to subject yourself to negativity first thing in the morning. According to research conducted by Dr. Marcus Raichle at Washington University, the constant chatter of subconscious thoughts that are on replay in our minds could lead to disease if they are negative, or success if they are positive.

Why contribute to the negative subconscious thoughts first thing in the morning, especially when you can help it?

2. You’re Feeding Your Ego

Social media can reinforce separation. You are a separate self and other people are separate from you.

This illusion feeds the ego in a big way, especially first thing in the morning. For many people, when we look at social media we can go into a state of comparison or judgement—of others or of ourselves.

Image Credit: Viewstorm

To have one judgmental thought first thing in the morning is like drinking a sip of Coca Cola the second we get up. We may not feel the effects right away, but later on in the day we might notice that we’re craving more sugary foods.

It’s the same with social media: a trickle down effect.

If we feed our ego with social media first thing in the morning, there’s a chance it will continue to require feeding throughout the day.

This can cause us to think more judgmental thoughts, compare ourselves to others and be in a state of separation from others. We then start to have more encounters and situations where it feels as if people are against us.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes in the morning, you feel as if people are against you? Maybe more people are cutting you off when you’re driving, or people are pushing you on the train.

Thoughts come up such as “Who do they think they are?”, or “How dare they?” It almost feels as if people are doing these things on purpose to ruin your day.

Whatever the case may be, you’re experiencing a state of reality where you are separate from everyone else.

If you start off your day with social media, there is a good chance you will spend more time on it throughout the day.

If you’re someone like me who likes to be productive and get the most out of your day, this can waste a lot of your precious time. Time that could be used to spend with friends or family. Time you could use making your dreams a reality.

Why not make everyday count towards being the best version of yourself?

As someone who can have tendencies towards addictive behaviour, I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum.

I’ve started many days drinking that social media cola first thing in the morning, and I’ve also experienced first-hand the powerful changes that occur with a healthier mental drink upon waking up.

Image Credit: Foreo

Not checking social media first thing in the morning has positively changed my life.

I feel more happy, peaceful and productive throughout my day. I feel so much more connected and understanding towards people since I’ve kicked this habit.

Not sure about this? Try not to not plug into your social media first thing tomorrow morning by remembering the way it can change your day, and eventually the trajectory of your life.

Instead of mindlessly browsing and getting absorbed in a bubble where time escapes you, why not spend those ten, twenty or thirty plus minutes doing something that feeds your mind, body and soul?

Try a few minutes of meditation, yoga or just enjoying a cup of coffee or tea while listening to some soothing music or a great book on Audible?

Each morning, choose to unplug from social media and plug into life.

This article was written and contributed by Rishma Petraglia. Rishma is a self-love coach at The Heart Whispers. She works to help people to understand and love themselves more.